Such a lift, which can be used in the field to raise cars, busses and similar objects is generally known, for instance the "car lifts" sold by Stertil B. V. from Kootstertille of the Netherlands. In these lifts, in order to limit the quantity of material needed for the stand, the guides connected to the carriage are arranged along exclusively the lower part of the carriage, and as a result the height of the stand, required for a predetermined range of movement by the carriage, is limited, without diminishing the aforementioned range. Also a limitation on the height of the stand is desired to provide a lift with a centre of gravity as low as possible to enhance stability thereof, especially to comply with the requirement, that even on a 10.degree. slope the lift should be stable enough for transport without the risk of it falling over. However, the stand needs to be provided with safety means to prevent the carriage from dropping or falling down in case of a malfunction of a drive of the carriage, from any height within the range.
Thus the lift is also equipped with a safety device, such as a safety catch, which is arranged on said stand near the top of said carriage in the lowered position thereof. Usually this safety device is arranged opposite the longitudinal side of the stand with an opening, through which the carriage is connected to a support, which actually serves to engage the object to be lifted.
Especially near the fully lowered position of the carriage in relation to the stand with a load resting on the support, when the distance between the uppermost of the guides and the safety device is greatest, the top of the carriage tends to bend out of the stand as a result of a number of factors. Among these are the elasticity of the carriage, the wheels and the stand under influence of the weight resting on the support. If this occurs while the carriage is resting on the safety device, which is most effective in a purely vertical direction, the carriage may bend to such an extent, that the safety device becomes unreliable and loses grip on the protrusion, which at this point is supposed to be engaged by the safety device. Thus the carriage may at least deform or even fall, taking the support and the load resting thereon with it, causing damage to the car-lift as well as the load resting thereon.